Municipal Priorities in Provincial Election

June 5, 2018

Dear Member:

AMO has been working hard to make sure that municipal priorities are not forgotten in the drama of this provincial election.

AMO was one of the first to register as a third-party advertiser under the new rules. We created a video and toolkit, launched Facebook ads, purchased advertorials on the National Post and Metroland news sites and even advertised on The Weather Network – which hosts one of Ontario’s most popular websites and apps. We also engaged with voters through Twitter and media coverage, with op-ed columns placed in newspapers including the Globe and Mail and about a dozen local daily or rural community news sites. Links to a sample of the op-eds follow this note. Including the Globe, this campaign reached an estimated audience of about 15 million people.

We could not do this work without the support of our members. As we head into the last day of the campaign, I want to thank all the municipal leaders who stepped up to press for a greater local say in how our services are delivered and a greater local share of tax revenues.

Whether you shared our video, retweeted our messages or signed an op-ed, your support was critical to the campaign.

For further insights into the municipal angle of this election, please listen to our most recent podcast, featuring an interview with TVO producer John Michael McGrath.

AMO is ready to work with the outcome of the public’s vote – whether majority or minority government. We will work to make sure that all MPPs and policy makers understand the importance of municipal government, and how intertwined our services are with decisions made at Queen’s Park. Make no mistake, to get action, especially in the early days, municipal leaders will need to speak with a strong and united voice. AMO, which brings together representatives from various municipal groups, is well suited for this effort. Please stay tuned to our weekly Watch File newsletter, follow us on Twitter via @AMOPolicy, and subscribe to our new podcast on iTunes or Google Play.